HMRC used a sarcastic post on X quoting a Sky News story to remind Luke Littler of his income tax obligations after his remarkable run to the World Darts Championship final.
After reporting that Littler, 16, will pay £83,000 in tax from his £200,000 earnings collected from his stunning performance at the tournament, a Sky News post on X was quoted by the government department.
“Big congrats to Luke on his fantastic run to the final,” the response read.
“We can confirm the existence of income tax.”
Littler told Sky News this week the best message he received during his sudden rise to fame was from former England football captain David Beckham.
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While the HMRC post on X, formerly known as Twitter, has been liked almost 4,000 times, comments suggest many did not appreciate the “inappropriate” tone.
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One user made the point: “And how about corporation tax for the likes of Amazon? Any witty banter about them???”
Daniel Oliver said: “Nothing funny about this Tweet. Inappropriate.”
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Another responded: “Quite an unpleasant, condescending response from HMRC, I feel – even though it may be technically accurate.”
And Python Maps, clearly a student of the American Revolution, pointed out it might be harsh given his age, saying: “He can’t vote. No taxation without representation.”
